Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 101

Wicked Wednesday – Chance Encounters

Our focus on strong women continues, and sometimes we find those women exactly when we need them and they are a fleeting influence in our lives.

Life has an interesting, sometimes funny, way of bringing people together in the right place at the right time. Have you ever had a conversation with a woman who you didn’t know that impacted your life? Tell us about it. 

Edith/Maddie: When I was a senior in college, a professor encouraged me to take a graduate seminar. After a week, I was so unconfident and cowed by what I perceived as the brilliance of the grad students, I dropped it. A year later I was on a cross-country solo bus trip and happened to sit with a woman a few years older. Like me, she also wore thrift-store clothes, no makeup, and sensible shoes (this was 1975). She said she was in a PhD program to look at the effect of feminist counseling centers on lesbians’ mental health. I stared and thought, if she can do that, I can. Two years later I started a doctoral program in linguistics and earned my PhD four years later. I don’t even know her name.

Barb: I’ve casual conversations with strangers that changed my life, but as I think of it, most were with men. The most meaningful encounters I’ve had with women have been with people with whom I have one sort of relationship, say as work colleagues, but somehow the conversation goes to another place. Strong, older women have given me incredible advice about parenting while working, time management, and general advice about what to expect from life and how to ride the inevitable roller-coaster. I am forever grateful for conversations they probably don’t remember.

Sherry: This wasn’t a conversation but a book about a strong woman. When I was going through a difficult period in my life, I came across Sara Parestsky’s V. I. Warshawski books. They helped me get through that time. Since then, I’ve met Sara and was able to thank her for writing such wonderful books with a complex female character.

Liz: I remember being in a really low place one day and going to a yoga class at my regular studio. While I was waiting for class to start a woman about my age came in and started chatting with me. I don’t even remember exactly what our conversation was about but it felt like I was talking to a kindred spirit – and I felt so much better after our chat. She didn’t even live in the area, but said she was passing through and wanted to do a class. We did exchange numbers and talked about getting together for coffee at some point, but I never saw her again and sometimes I think I imagined her, or maybe she was an angel sent to lift my spirits that day.

Jessie: I have pondered this question and pondered it but I cannot recal a time when something like that has happened to me. Like Barb, I have had a lot of heart-to -heart conversations that have meant a great deal to me but not with strangers. I am not sure I give off the sort of energy that invites that sort of thing from those with whom I am not acquainted! Perhaps I should ponder on that!

Readers, have you had a chance encounter with a woman that made a difference in your life? Tell us about it in the comments below.

You Like Me…You Really, Really Like Me

By Liz, absolutely loving the spring weather of late here in CT!

If you’ve been following the blog this month, you know we’re talking about strong women and the impact they’ve had not only on us individually, but on our world as a whole. Strong women make the world go round, right? And here’s the thing: Strong women aren’t always going to be seen as likable. Nor should they be.

I’ve been thinking about this concept a lot lately as it pertains to not just every-day life, especially in the corporate world where I spend a lot of my days, but also in fiction writing. I’ve seen firsthand women who are brilliant, talented, assertive and unwilling to take any crap get labeled as “uncollaborative” or “not good partners” or, in plain English, “unlikable.” And we know that men who demonstrate the same tendencies don’t get the same labels. We’ve been having this conversation for a while now, right?

And guess what? Our female protagonists get stuck with the same labels. And ladies, I think it’s time to fight back.

When I was writing my Pawsitively Organic series featuring Stan Connor, I worried A LOT about making Stan “likeable,” whatever that means. I distinctly remember creating her best friend Nikki’s character out of a need to be able to have opinions on animal rescue topics that might have seemed too strong to come from Stan as my main character. Looking back now, I do love Nikki, but really? Stan had every right to her opinions, even if they may have been harsh every now and then. That’s the reality when you work in rescue. Sometimes people make you very angry, and you have not-so-nice thoughts about them. (And seriously – that’s the reality in all areas of life, not just rescue, am I right?)

So, moving on to the Cat Cafe series. I started writing about Maddie and her world when I was in a very different place than when I created Stan. I personally didn’t worry so much about everyone liking me all the time, and that carried over into my writing. Maddie is a lot more confident and unapologetic than Stan. She knows what she wants and she goes after it. She’s deeply caring, but she’s also really human.

And Maddie got some feedback in one of my early drafts about having too many angry feelings, not being as likeable as one might expect in a cozy, etc. I went back and adjusted the scenes, but I remember thinking, of course she’s angry, something terrible just happened! Is she supposed to squash her feelings and just smile?

In Whisker of a Doubt, Maddie is struggling with her relationship during most of the book. She’s upset about it and uses typical coping mechanisms like throwing herself into work and acting out in certain instances. She’s certainly not happy about what’s going on, and it takes a toll on her mood. And shortly after the book came out, I got an email from a reader who chastised me about Maddie’s attitude and warned me that she should really be “nicer.” And as I watched women around me every day hear the same types of things from a colleague or boss, or get penalized for speaking up and voicing concerns or displeasures, and in some cases really convinced that something was wrong with them, I knew I had to write this blog.

We need to stop demanding that women – fictional and not – be so nice. Of course, we should be kind. We should be caring. We should be human. But that goes for everyone, not just women. And we ARE human, so we’re not going to feel like singing and dancing with joy every second of the day. I mean, who complains that Harry Bosch isn’t nice enough? Harry does what he’s gotta do, and we all cheer him on. When he has dark thoughts, we sympathize with all he’s been through. We respect his moods and his approach because he’s earned it.

So why isn’t it the same for our female characters?

Readers, what do you think? Do you judge female characters differently than male characters? Leave a comment below – let’s have a conversation about this.

A Long Time Coming #giveaway

Edith/Maddie, writing from north of Boston and close to getting my second vaccine shot, yay!

A year ago, plus nine days, Murder at the Taffy Shop released. It’s my second Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery, and was my second in a special deal Kensington Publishing struck with Barnes & Noble for a few new series.

See the sticker? Murder on Cape Cod was the program’s guinea pig in a deal that released the book solely in paperback, solely from B&N, for one year. It sold well the first year, and then got a big new boost from being available from Amazon and Kobo, as an ebook, an audiobook, and a new paperback edition.

I’m delighted that Murder at the Taffy Shop goes to wide release on March 30, at long last (yes, the sticker has the date wrong). Sure, the double boost is great. But I also have so, so many avid fans who only read on Kindle, or only on audio. Or who can’t afford B&N’s postage for one book and don’t live near a store. For over a year, few of us have been going inside stores at all, anyway, except to pick up food and medicine. Those fans are geared up for a fun read and are glad the wide release is imminent.

And now the book will be available for independent bookstores to stock, too. If you pre-order it from my local indy and want a signed copy, just add a note in the order form and I’ll run over to sign before Jabberwocky Books sends it. Or write to me via my web site and I can send you one of my spiffy new bookplates, endorsed and signed!

Here’s the blurb (again):

Cape Cod bicycle shop owner Mackenzie “Mac” Almeida and her mystery book club find a certain accusation of murder quite the stretch . . . 

When your mother is an astrologist and your dad is a minister, you learn to keep an open mind. Which is just what Mac loves to do—exercise her mind by puzzling out fictional clues in the mystery novels she reads and discusses with her Cozy Capers Book Group. 

But now Mac’s friend Gin has found herself in a sticky situation. After wealthy genealogist Beverly Ruchart is found dead outside Gin’s taffy shop, the candy maker becomes a person of interest. When it’s revealed that Beverly was poisoned the night Gin brought a box of taffy to a dinner party at Beverly’s house, she’s bumped to the top of the suspects list. It’s up to Mac and her Cozy Capers crime solvers to unwrap this real-life mystery. But this time they might have bitten off more than they can chew . . .

I really love writing this series. It’s a hoot (not literally) to include Mac’s African gray parrot as a character. The setting is beachy and evocative of amazing coastal light and village intrigues. The cozy mystery book club is an extra fun boost.

Murder at the Lobstah Shack comes out in November- not on an exclusive – and I’m a about ten thousand words into writing book four, Murder at a Cape Cottage.

I still have copies of the exclusive version of Murder at the Taffy Shop lying around. To celebrate next week’s wide release, I’d love to give them away.

And tonight I’ll be discussing A Changing Light, my April-release Quaker Midwife Mystery, over at Joanna’s Readers Facebook group from 6-7 EDT. Hope you can join us!

Readers: What’s your favorite taffy flavor? Favorite beach town?

Traci Wilton, ghosts and giveaways

Welcome readers! Today I’m happy to have Traci Wilton, (the writing duo Traci Hall and Patrice Wilton) join us on the blog to talk about how they came to be cowriters, their writing process, and best of all, their friendship. They’re also giving away three books to three lucky commenters! Take it away, ladies!

Traci Hall and I, Patrice Wilton, have been writing romance stories and other genres for over thirty grueling years. We became friends before either of us were published. We belonged to a critique group and would meet up once a week. At that time, twenty years ago, we lived in South Florida, within thirty minutes of each other. 

We were determined that one day we’d break through the world of publishing. It took me fifteen years to achieve that goal, and perhaps a little less for Traci. It’s harder than you think! And way back then, self-publishing was not the thing to do. New York publishing was the only way to go! Small publishing companies materialized and we both went down that route until…wait for it…AMAZON became Big Brother and Kindle Direct Publishing was born.

Lucky me! I had six perfectly solid manuscripts to introduce to the world. My agent had sent them to all the big houses, and yes, I had wonderful rejection letters, saying I was a talented writer, but…

I hate buts, don’t you? Well, they didn’t know who they were dealing with because Traci and myself were not quitters! Traci by that time had two contracts with promising middle-of-the-road pub houses. Her favorite quote was that she personally closed them all down. But (of course) she was kidding! We think.

My first book, REPLACING BARNIE, started selling like hotcakes, and reached as low as 340 out of a million books. 

READERS FOUND US!! 

So, we became rich and famous and now live in mansions! NOT.

Traci has at least sixty published books, and I’m closer to forty.

So, what do long-time friends do? We continued to write and waited for our golden opportunity. It arrived in the form of our agent, Evan Marshall. He worked with an editor who wanted a cozy mystery series similar to the old TV movie, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. He approached us and asked if we’d be interested in writing a cozy mystery and we said, “hell no!” and that’s the end of our story.

No! Hold on. Wait. The truth is that we accepted right away.

We jumped up and down and shouted over the miles that separated us, thank you cell phones and internet, and started a series that neither one of us had ever written before. But how hard can it be, right? We agreed from the beginning that our friendship would come first. That is how the Salem B & B cozy mystery series was born.

We decided to try and keep our romance fans, because romance readers are awesome and read across the genre board, and adopted Traci Wilton as our pen name.

Mrs. Morris and the Ghost garnered good reviews and seemed to be popular—but we didn’t know what to expect, since this was brand new.

Mrs. Morris and the Witch climbed higher in the sales numbers. Readers were reaching out to tell us how much they liked Charlene and Jack. Sam. Silva!

Mrs. Morris and the Ghost of Christmas Past hit the B & N top seller list three times. We were so excited and surprised.

Mrs. Morris and the Sorceress will be available everywhere on March 30th! It already has a wonderful Kirkus Review—this is an achievement we’d dreamed of back in the critique partner days—almost twenty years ago.

Mrs. Morris and the Vampire follows August 26th. Mrs. Morris and the Pot of Gold will be handed in to our editor April 1st!

It’s been an amazing ride, and if we had a moral to our story it would be Never Give Up. We each are so humbled by the loyalty of our readers – thank you!

What’s next? We hope to continue on with more Salem B& B stories. 

In our free time (ha) we are co-writing a new series. Death in Sandpiper Bay, A Riley Harper Mystery, written by Traci Hall and Patrice Wilton is available now in ebook, and print copies are coming soon.

People are always curious as to how two people can co-write a story. We knew we could do this as we write in a similar style, trust each other completely, and are focused on our goal of an entertaining book. 

First thing we do is get together and figure out our characters and plot. That can take us anywhere from hours to days. The most important element in the creation of the book involves WINE, and lots of it. We also enjoy going away to research our location. Our trip to Salem included finding the perfect lobster and searching for ghosts!

Okay, in all seriousness we have a solid system to write our books together. One of us starts the first chapter, then the other reads what was written, and starts the next chapter. We make notes on the side of the page in the comments section and move on until we finish the first draft. In the second draft, we tie all the threads together. Draft three is prettying up the book with great descriptions and word choices.

After that, we send the manuscript to friends and people we can trust to read it and give us an honest opinion. We are not looking for praise at this point, only if everything is clear, with no repetitive words or sentences, and hope they catch any misspelled words. 

Occasionally we will have a difference of opinion, but we call each other and respectfully talk things through. No bad feelings, just the knowledge that we’re in this together and doing it for the greater good of the book.

We hope this answers any questions, but we love to hear from readers, so feel free to reach out to us.

We hope that you’ll check out our cozy mysteries as well as our individual books! 

You may contact us at: http://www.traciwilton.com, or patricewilt@yahoo.com and traciella@aol.com

Happy reading everyone!

Thanks for being here, Patrice and Traci! Readers, the ladies are giving away three books today to three random commenters. Winners can choose from Mrs. Morris and the Ghost, Mrs. Morris and the Witch, Mrs. Morris and the Ghost of Christmas Past, or Mrs. Morris and the Sorceress. Tell us in the comments below – what appeals to you most about this series? For me, I love that it’s set in Salem, a place near and dear to my heart!

Welcome Edwin Hill!

Hey readers! We’re continuing our new series of inviting writers of other genres to the blog to discuss all things writing. Today I’m happy to have Edwin Hill, author of the Hester Thursby mystery series, here to answer some questions. Welcome Edwin!

What drew you to the genre you write?

I’ve always been fascinated by stories of ordinary people overcoming extraordinary situations, and as a writer, I like to explore what those circumstances do to those ordinary people. Some rise above them, and others fall victim to their circumstances, but as someone who is interested in human psychology, I like to see how my newest imaginary friends are changed by their imaginary circumstances.

What sets your book apart from what is out there?

I don’t know if this sets them apart, because I write what I love to read, but my goal is to write crime fiction that’s based in a literary tradition. I love writers like Laura Lippman and Kate Atkinson who fill their novels with richly drawn characters, and then pile on complex and exciting plots that keep the reader turning the pages. 

What are you currently writing?

I’m working on a standalone book set in Boston that is about two sisters who are haunted by a murder/suicide involving their father and their next-door neighbor. In the present day, another murder hits too close to home when the victim turns out to be one of their ex-boyfriends. I don’t think I’m giving too much away to say that it’s all connected – now I need to figure out how! 

Do you write a series or standalones? Why?

My first three novels are all part of a series that focus on a research librarian named Hester Thursby who finds missing people. I love writing series characters because you can take a longer view with character arcs and really think about where you want the characters to grow. My third book in that series, WATCH HER, finished off some of the story lines that I began in my first novel. When I start the fourth book in that series, Hester will have some new challenges to face, and I’ll let her sit with some of those challenges over another set of three books. 

The standalone that I mentioned above is my first standalone, and it’s been fun to write for many reasons, but one of the most fun aspects is that no one is safe. I don’t think my readers would be too thrilled if I killed off Hester Thursby or her partner Morgan Maguire (or their dog Waffles) but in this book, who knows who’ll make it through to the end (though dogs are always safe)! 

What are you reading right now?

I worked on a time-consuming project last year that limited the amount of pleasure reading I could do, so I’m catching up on some books I missed! Right now, I’m reading THE LUCKY ONE by Lori Rader-Day and really liking it. Here in Boston, we have an amazing writing community through an organization called Grub Street. I try to read as many books by local authors as I can, and am reading all of Jenna Blum’s novels right now. I am also making my way through the nominees for the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize from last year and am on THE NICKEL BOYS by Colson Whitehead. It’s amazing. My crime novel will be Rachel Howzell Hall’s AND NOW SHE’S GONE, which, like so many other novels, I’ve wanted to read since it came out. Also, I am looking forward to Barb’s latest clambake mystery, SHUCKED APART. I’ve read this series from the start and love visiting Busman’s Harbor and catching up with Julia! And… oh, there are way too many to list! 

What is your favorite deadline snack?

I try not to stress eat. I also fail at not stress eating. I wind up eating a lot of almonds when I’m pacing around. And if there’s anything bad for me in the house, I eat that too. Basically, anything not nailed down. I also drink pots and pots of coffee.  

Do you have a favorite quote or life motto?

The final lines of Mary Oliver’s “The Summer Day” really speak to me, especially after this terrible year. 

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?”

Favorite writing space?

Like so many of us, I used to like going to my local coffee shop to write and look forward to doing so again. Right now, I work in my home office! 

What do you see when you look up from writing?

I live in a densely populated neighborhood in Boston. My office window looks out over my backyard, and I love sitting there and watching the seasons change or my dog Edith Ann playing. 

Thanks for joining us, Edwin! Readers, any other questions for our guest! Ask in the comments below!

Bio: Edwin Hill’s critically-acclaimed crime novels include Watch Her, The Missing Ones, and Little Comfort. He has been nominated for Edgar and Agatha Awards, featured in Us Magazine, received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Library Journal, and was recognized as one of “Six Crime Writers to Watch” in Mystery Scene magazine. He lives in Roslindale, Massachusetts with his partner Michael and his favorite reviewer, their lab Edith Ann, who likes his first drafts enough to eat them.

Wicked Wednesday – What makes a strong woman?

Happy St. Paddy’s Day! It’s a perfect day to look at one of Ireland’s strong women.  Brigid of Kildare is the only female patron saint in Ireland. According to the Irish Times, she was “a powerful Abbess who offered an alternative to the confines of domestic life to up to 14,000 women, a peaceweaver, a fearless negotiator who secured women’s property rights, and freed trafficked women. And she was also reputed to be an expert dairywoman and brewer.” 

She sounds like a badass to me. So Wickeds, what characteristics do you think define a strong woman? 

Edith/Maddie: A strong woman knows herself and believes in herself. She’s clear about what she needs and about what she won’t tolerate, and she treats others with respect, always.

Julie: Fierce kindness, with a deep belief in herself, and love of life. Funny also helps.

Sherry: I have to gently disagree with Edith and Julie. I think that often times strength is thrust upon us even when we don’t believe in ourselves. That situations and events, both joyful and tragic, mold us and make us strong especially when we don’t think we can do it. However, I completely agree with Julie that funny helps!

Barb: A clear-eyed sense of self and circumstance, a sense of purpose and the confidence and drive to achieve it. I do agree with Sherry that often these things have to be found, sometimes painfully. They are not always, or even usually, innate or bestowed.

Liz: Sherry, completely agree that strength comes in many different forms and circumstances. To me, a strong woman is someone who keeps going despite the uncertainty or self-doubt, and who stays true to herself.

Jessie: I see strength as getting back up when one is knocked down, of persisting along a course and in not becoming embittered by outside forces.

Readers, share what you think makes a strong woman in the comments below.

Welcome J.M. Griffin – and a Giveaway!

Liz here, and today I’m welcoming J.M. Griffin to the blog today! Her latest Jules & Bun mystery, Hop ‘Til You Drop, came out last month and she’s celebrating with a giveaway. Take it away, J.M.!

Many thanks to Liz Mugavero, and all the awesome Wickeds for the invitation to their blog. It’s such a pleasure to share my love of cozy mysteries and to talk about my newest cozy, Hop ‘Til You Drop. This is the third in the Bun & Jules cozy mystery series. I’ve had a great time writing about their adventures. There’s Bun, a black and white telepathic rabbit who complains about boredom just before a murder takes place, (and only Jules can hear him). He has a passion for mystery solving and together they do. The story setting is in beautiful southern New Hampshire and features a host of unusual characters. A healthy dose of Bun’s humor is added for flavor. I consider it an honor to make readers chuckle. That’s when I know I’ve done my best to brighten their day. 

While I’m a Kensington author now, I began writing fiction long ago. Try as I might, I couldn’t seem to connect with a publisher or an agent who liked my writing enough to take me on. I kept going and eventually published with a Canadian publishing company who brought me success. But. . . my goal hadn’t changed, I wanted to work with a New York publisher. 

By chance, when leaving a NINC (Novelists Inc.) conference, myself and another person were boarding a bus for the airport. We both tripped up the same stair, had a chuckle over it, and we began chatting. Turned out he’s Hannah Howell’s agent and she’s a great friend of mine. One thing led to another and we decided on the bus trip that I should write about a talking rabbit. Bun & Jules came to be, was sent to Kensington and accepted. Funny how life works out. I’ve never been so happy to trip up a stair.

Most of my mysteries are set in New England, with the Vinnie Esposito series based in RI. As my very first series, I learned a lot about writing and how dedication plays an enormous part in it. I’ve also taken time to visit many spots in Rhode Island I hadn’t seen in ages, including Block Island.

My latest Bun & Jules novel was released on February 23rd. With Covid-19 holding on for what seems like forever, I’ve been unable to do in person library visits, book fairs, book stores and such.

Reaching out to Wicked readers, I’m happy to give away five copies of Hop ‘Til You Drop to readers in the USA, so please leave me a comment. Have you ever vacationed or visited Rhode Island? Our beaches are to die for. (pun intended)

Thanks J.M. – and I agree Rhode Island beaches are to die for! My favorite is Second Beach in Middletown for sure. Readers, what about you? Tell us below if you’ve visited!

Indulgences

Jessie: In New Hampshire, beginning to tire of winter…

Every year about this time I am ready for spring. I have a great deal of patience with the weather as a rule and adore making my home in an area of the planet with four distinct seasons. That being said, March is tough. There are a few days that make one hope for fine spring days to come and then those hopes are dashed by a cold snap, cloud cover or a snowstorm that dumps severeal inches on my village.

It is in March that I find I turn to indulgences. I must admit to be a bit inclined to allow myself to partake in treats of all sorts throughout the year, but in March the desire to do so is particularly acute. I have noticed that I give such leeway to my characters as well. Edwina loves to sit in her favorite chair to work on a knitting project whilst listening to a favorite program on the wireless. On a chilly, bleak weekend day I love nothing more than casting a new project on the needles as I binge-watch a mystery series like Shetland or Wild Bill.

Like Beryl, I love a dry martini. She partakes in them far more often than do I but, I find myself more easily convinced to mix one up in the last days of this month when something spirited seems in order. I love to have a good gorge on the plant catalogues that both Edwina and Simpkins would peruse and allow myself to imagine that I will be better at weeding than is truly likely.

I also find myself whipping up meals that Simpkins would not be ashamed to have concocted; things with lots of sauce and meats left to simmer for hours on the stove or in the slow cooker. He and I completely agree that the depths of March is no time for salad or any cold veg, come to think of it.

As far as I am concerned, the last days of discouraging weather are often the best for staying inside to work on a new novel. Edwina is of a similar turn of mind and spends the time she would devote to her garden in the growing season to pounding out another page of her story set in the wild west , creating greater and greater difficulties for her cowboy hero, Bart Dalton. Invariably, in March I indulge in long working sessions on the next Beryl and Edwina mystery. After all, the warm weather will be here, even in New Hampshire, before long. When it comes I will want to indulge in that too and and my next deadline will be looming! So, in the end, I suppose, March is really a sort of indulgence in and of itself!

Readers, do you find yourself indulging at various times of the year? Is March still winter where you are or has spring arrived?

Opening Lines

It’s Opening Lines Friday! Wickeds, add your opening lines to go with the photo below. And thanks to Sherry for the picture!

Edith/Maddie: Miss Lacey insisted I donate my favorite gown to the rumble sale. She didn’t need to know the fluffy brown skirt bore my late rival’s bloodstains. Neither does the girl who buys it.

Barb: I would have recognized it anywhere, even after all these years. In 1974, my best friend Lucy had disappeared from our prom wearing that dress, the one her mom had so lovingly made her. Lucy had never been seen or heard from again.

Sherry: I sucked in a breath. Those were the dresses that had been haunting my nightmares, keeping me from a good night’s sleep for the past month.

Jessie: She handed the cash to the vendor for the pair of long white gloves and smiled as the woman asked her if she was purchasing them for a special occasion. Oh yes, she had a very special evening planned and it happened to call for her to wear gloves, preferably a pair purchased without a paper trail.

Julie: “Think Pink” was Ginny’s mother-in-law’s favorite saying, mostly in reaction to her Goth inspired wardrobe. She’d think pink. And use that cyanide she’d been saving to sweeten the tea.

Liz: I walked out of the building through the back door and tossed the gun into the nearest dumpster after wiping it clean. Then I ducked into the thrift shop I’d seen on my way in to grab one of those lacy pink numbers in the window. No one would suspect a pretty-in-pink type girl was the hit woman they were looking for.

Readers, add your opening line below!

Wicked Wonder(ful) Women

by Julie, enjoying a brief taste of spring in Somerville

Spotlighting, praising and celebrating women is the theme for this month of March. This is a wonderful subject for a blog post, and there are a lot of ways to approach the conversation. But instead of singing the praises of women of history, or telling you to listen to podcasts like the History Chicks for wonderful stories about women you may not know, I’ve been thinking about the wonderful women I’ve known who do what they can to make their corner of the world a little better, and much brighter. I want to take a moment for us all to give them a huzzah.

Dru Ann Love has a blog that has lifted up many authors, myself included. She does cover reveals, interviews, and “musings” every day. I remember the first time I met Dru officially. We were at a Berkley cocktail party at Bouchercon Albany. I was about to sign my first contract (for my Clock Shop series), and was invited to attend. Sheila Connolly brought Dru to the party. I remember Sheila saying to me that people needed to know who she (Dru) was, because she had a real impact on book sales, and was a champion of authors. Sheila was right. Huzzah to Dru.

I met Kristen van Ginhoven when she was in graduate school at Emerson College. She’d recently read Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, and was trying to think about how she could change the world with her work, which was theater. She founded WAM Theatre shortly thereafter. A portion of the proceeds of every WAM production is donated to organizations supporting gender equity. Since 2010 WAM has donated $80,000 to 22 beneficiaries. Despite the pandemic, WAM has figured out a way to keep producing work online, not an easy transition. This organization is small but mighty, led by an amazing woman. Huzzah Kristen.

Mary Callanan is a performer. When covid hit, she was on the road with the tour of My Fair Lady. Until she wasn’t. For a while she waited it out. But now, she and Brian Patton have been doing live concerts every Tuesday night on Facebook. Tipsy Tuesdays. These concerts have been a respite for many people I know, a smile during the tough weeks. Huzzah to Mary.

Kirsten Greenidge, Melinda Lopez and Kate Snodgrass are all wonderful playwrights. They have plays featured in the Dream Boston project, a series of audio plays produced by the Huntington Theater Company. (Truthfully, all of the playwrights featured in this project are wonderful.) The free plays are a wonderful way to spend some time. Huzzah to Kirsten, Melinda, and Kate.

Last but not least, the wonderful Dawn Simmons. Running a service organization for the theater community is challenging during the best of times. This past year has not been that. But Dawn has amped up her leadership of StageSource, and used this time to have important conversations about the arts. When theater comes back, and it will, it is because leaders like Dawn have been doing so much work this past year. Huzzah to Dawn.

I could write a post like this every day for the next week and not cover all the amazing women I know, and the work that they’re doing to get through the now. Huzzah to them all. I celebrate their light, in gratitude.

Readers, who do you know who’s making their corner of the world a bit brighter?